Friday, November 9, 2012Cutler on extension: I want to retire a Bear
By ESPNChicago.com

Jay Cutler has one year left on his five-year contract with the Bears.

Quarterback Jay Cutler maintains that he does not want to discuss a contract extension during the season, but said Friday that he hopes to remain a Chicago Bear for the rest of his career.

"I've thought about (a new contract) a few times," Cutler said Friday on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio. "I don't want to do it in the middle of the season, but I also want to end my career as a Bear. We've got a lot of good guys on this offense, and I'd like to see where this offense can go and grow together and hopefully become one of the elite offenses in the NFL. But we've got to get through this season first and finish the business we already started."

Cutler is in the fourth year of a five-year extension completed on Oct. 21, 2009 after joining the Bears through a trade with the Denver Broncos. He receives $7.7 million in base salary in 2012, with the number increasing to $8.47 million in 2013, the final year of the deal. He received a workout bonus of $504,805 in the spring, and is set to receive a workout bonus of $500,000 in 2014.

Cutler has thrown for 1,774 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with eight interceptions and a passer rating of 85.3. He has picked up where he left off with receiver Brandon Marshall, who played three seasons with Cutler in Denver and is in his first season with the Bears.

Cutler and Marshall connected for three touchdowns in Sunday's rout of the Tennessee Titans, and he has targeted the big receiver 90 times, good for fourth in the NFL.

"(Having Marshall) makes things easy," Cutler said. "He takes a lot of burden off me. I know at the end of the day that I've got a guy who is always going to be in the right place, he's going to make plays for me. I think people don't realize how smart of a football player he is. His football IQ is off the charts."